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closeTates Creek played like a team hungry for a trophy.
New coach Bo Lankster wasn't so sure it was going to be that way as his players warmed up for the championship game of the Fayette County Soccer Spectacular Saturday night.
He told his assistants that the team looked passive and unmotivated.
Apparently, the No. 22 Commodores were saving it all for the game. They were extra motivated to play district rival Henry Clay, which they beat 1-0 to win the title.
"This is our biggest rival, and we wanted to go after them," sophomore defender Meredith Chinn said.
Creek was the aggressor, outshooting the Devils 11-3, including 7-2 in the second half.
But the only shot that counted was the penalty kick (for a takedown in the box) that came off the foot of Megan Poage then ricocheted off the fingers of keeper Kayla Price and into the goal.
Poage, who had never missed a PK in her career, shanked two this week, including one that morning.
Lankster told the sophomore he would go back to her for another penalty kick if necessary, so Poage decided to practice them before the game.
Practice made perfect.
"Once I stepped up there, I was confident in myself this time," she said. "I knew I had to get it in for our team."
Poage knew Price, who hadn't allowed a goal in three games this season, was waiting there in the goal, but she tried not to think about her.
"She's a big intimidator," Poage said. "So I just kept my head down and didn't look at her."
With 9:20 to play, Henry Clay had a pair of dangerous shots, but the one that went in was negated by an offsides call.
The Devils' other best look at the Creek goal was when Olivia Max broke free and got a one-on-one with the keeper early in the second half. But Max's shot went wide right.
That motivated the Commodores (4-0) more.
"Henry Clay's a very aggressive team, and we didn't back down from that," Lankster said. "If we would have, they would have pushed us all around the field if we hadn't been aggressive ourselves."
Henry Clay (3-1), which lost to Creek in the regular season last year before exacting revenge in the first round of the district tournament, will be driven by this loss, Coach Mebit Aragaw said.
"This game can only motivate us," Aragaw said. "They're going to remember this game when districts come, and they're going to keep working hard.
"We're just coming together as a team. I don't think this is the end of us."
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